Mixer



F. H. HEINE May 16, 1950 MIXER 6 ShQtS-Sheet 1 Filed Aug. 31, 1944gwue/wfon May 16, 1950 F. H. HEINE MIXER 6 Sheets-Sheet 2 Filed Aug. 31,1944 May 16, 1 950 & HEM 2,507,522

MIXER Filed Aug. 31, 1944 6 Sheets-sheaf 3 May 16, 1950 F. H. HEINE2,507,522

MIXER Filed Aug. 31, 1944 I 6 Sheets-Sheet 4 24, w M U 20 %L\ kL 7 E1 iZ 24 May 16, 1950 HEINE 2,507,522

MIXER Filed Aug. 31, 1944 6 Sheets-Sheet 5- F. H. HElNE May 16, 1950MIXER Filed Aug. 31, 1944 6 Sheets-Sheet 6 Patented May 16, 1950FerdinandHJHeine, Milwaukee, Wis, assignorito ,Koehringflompany,Milwaukee, Wis, acorporation Application "August 31, 1944, Serial No.552,101

1 Claim ,1

The primary object-of :my invention has been to'design a novelconstruction of r'mixer particularly adapted for themixingofconcreteaggregate -but also especially usefuhbecause of the increasedefliciency of -the;mixing act-ion 'produced by the machine, for mixingof materials in ,glass, chemical, fertilizer, and other plants :wheredust conditions :mayprevail.

-A- broad phase-ofthe noveltyof my invention lies in theemployment of: amixer comprisinga mixing drum which is ,operated in-rsuch a manner as tomove the-,massofuzaggregates 'or materials therein in aqpluralityjofplanes whereby to accelerate the :mixing operation to reduce theperiod of time: requiredas-compared :with mixers in which the mixingdrum -is "moved in i one "direction only for the agitationofthecontentsof the drum.

In the-carrying out "of my'invention I :have adapted my improved mixingfunctions to the type of mixer .of the known tilting, class wherein .thedrum is subjected to rotation during the'mixingoperation and is:capable-of beingitilted-to assume a position for charging, and reversely-or downward-1y :tilted to assume i-its discharging position.

My invention is especially ,adapted for v use with. the last mentionedtype of mixer in that; avail of the customary rotationof the-tiltingdrum aboutitslongitudinalaxis .'for moving the mass. of materialsthereinin one. direction, and I operate the said drum whileso-rotatingby .a continuous back andforthtilti'ng movement in a plane ofoscillation 'or partial rotation at substantially right angles tothefirst mentioned routilized in this art. Thev result of thecombination mixing actions referred to is to speed up ,the .completionofthecmixingaoperation, a .desideratum obviouslyimportant.

A further improvementfin my invention,,re- ,lated to the l'foregoing.lies aid the provision, by

type, especially since the partial! rotative tilting operationduring'mixingrcannot under the con-- ditions of use-of a;closed mixingcompartment, throw the materials, from the drum as it would do ifthedrumwerenot-entirely closed. .Because of the-foregoing mode, of.operation utilizing thecloseddoorprinciple it will be possible toreduce the size-of the mixing drum fora given vvolume of concrete'to theextent that. approximately iour cubic-yards of material maybe mixed inasize of drum heretofore capable of handling approximately three cubicyards, with accelerated mixing operation additionally obtained.

v With the above in mind, I note that I utilize special: improvedmechanism, for controlling. the

opening and closing of the door with which the mixing drum utilized bymeis equipped.

v.It, has benproposedjheretofore,in the art of tilting mixers to utilizepower means to tiltthe ,mixerwith partial rotary movement to itschargingand. discharging positions, as for instancev is disclosed bymypreviousjPatent No. 2,271,518; in the construction, of the mixingdevice, however,.thel'tilting action is not employed for purposes ofmixing as indicated above.

.One embodimentof my invention is illustrated in the accompanyingdrawings, and fully describedin thefollowing specification, and in saiddrawings:

Figure 1 is a general topplan View of a mixing machine embodying theimprovements of this invention.

Figure -2 is van end-,view of the. mixer.

Figure 3'isasideelevation, dotted lines show- ;ingthe range of movementof the door to open position and generalran e of downward tiltingmovementof themixer to its discharge posi- .tion.

' Eigure i is a fragmentary sectional-view taken :about on the, line 4-4of Figure 1 andshowing imoreparticularly,in,-section the drive gearing.ioreffecting the rotation-ofthemixer about its longitudinal axis.

Figure 5 isa fragmentary sectional view bring- .ing'. ,out more, clearlythe driving, mechanism for causing .the continuous'back and forthtilting showing more clearly features of the door operating means ofFigures 6 and 7.

Figure 9 is a fragmentary sectional and plan view of certain dooroperating parts seen in Figure 8.

Figure is a detail view of a connecting pivot member of the doormechanism.

Figure 11 is a perspective view of the cradle member alone.

General construction of mixer The general construction of my mixer isnot unlike that used today and presented in my previously referred topatent, in relation to the mounting of the tilting mixing drum andcertain operating mechanism therefor.

The mixer comprises the base I from which upwardly extend spacedpedestals 2 disposed at opposite sides of the mixing drum 3. The drum 3is, generally speaking, of the usual oppositely tapered form and issupported for revolution about its longitudinal axis by means of acradle or carriage 4, said cradle 4 being equipped with trunnions 5projecting from opposite sides thereof and carried in bearings 6 at theupper ends of the pedestals 2. At its middle portion the cradle 4 isequipped with a suitable bearing 1 to receive a trunnion on the back orpermanently closed end of the drum 3, the bearing 1 being equipped withsuitable anti-friction bearings to take care of the thrust of the drum 3with the contained materials therein as the drum rotates about itslongitudinal axis.

The drum 3 is likewise equipped with the gear ring 8, see Figure 4, androller track 9 welded or otherwise secured to the drum and surroundingitsmiddle portion. Suitable rollers Ill, see Figure 2, shown in dottedlines, are interposed between the curved body of the cradle 4 to supportthe central portion of the drum in connection with the cradle so thatthe drum may rotate freely with its ring gear 8 and roller track 9 uponthe cradle 4. The foregoing generally describes the construction of mymixing drum and the cradle supporting means therefor substantially asheretofore known in the art, broadly speaking.

Drive for the rotation of drum Figures 1, 2 and 4 illustrate the use ofa motor H supported on a bracket I2 carried by one of the pedestals 2 ofthe machine, which motor causes the rotation of the drum 3 about itslongitudinal axis. As seen clearly in Figure 4, the shaft 13 of themotor H carries a pinion [4 engaging a spur gear IS in the housingmember Hi.

The gear 15 is provided with suitable bored holes I! in which arelocated rubber covered bronze bushings l8 and said bushings receive pinsis on the flange 2B of a hub 21 keyed or otherwise attached to thepinion shaft 22 which passes through the trunnion 5 of the cradle 4adjacent to one of the pedestal bearings 6. The shaft 22 4 carried thebevel pinion 23 meshing with a bevel gear 24 keyed on the short drumdriving shaft 25, said shaft 25 having keyed thereto a drive pinion 26engaging the teeth of the ring gear 8 surrounding the drum 3.

In the operation of my machine the drum 3 is driven continuously,ordinarily, after starting the machine, by means of the motor H; inother words, the rotation of the drum 3 about its longitudinal axis iscontinuous during the mixing operation as well as charging anddischarging operations of the drum.

Tilting drive means for the drum As previously indicated, it is proposedin my mixer construction to utilize a continuous back and forth tiltingmovement for the drum, or in other words, to impart to the drum and themass of materials therein a continuous agitating movement incident todrum movement in a direction different from the movement which isimparted incident to the rotation of the drum about its longitudinalaxis and by means of the blading therein. Figures 1, 2, 3, and 5 bestshow the tilting rotative operating mechanism now to be set forth.

In Figures 1 and 3 it will be noted that supported upon and adjacent tothe base I of my machine is a motor 27 which may be an electric motorsimilar to the motor ll. Either of these motors may be self-containedpower units, how'- ever, such as an explosive engine.

As seen in Figure 1, the shaft 28 of the motor 21 connected by reducinggearing diagrammatically illustrated in Figure 5, affording drivingconnection between the motor and the driving pinion 29. The pinion 29meshes with a combined gear andcrank wheel 38 adjacent to one of thepedestals 2 and supported in keyed relation to a driving shaft 3! whichcarries at its opposite ends two of the crank wheels 39, one of which isengaged by the pinion 29. Connecting or pitman rods 32 connect the crankwheels 30 with suitable offstanding trunnion members 33 projecting fromthe opposite sides of the cradle 4, and the turning of the crank Wheelsso obviously imparts oscillating movement to the connecting rods 32, andthe latter communicate such movement to the cradle 4 and thereby to thebodily carried drum 3 for effecting continuous oscillating or partialrotating movements back and forth to said drum 3.

For temporarily stopping the tilting movement of the drum 3 in theposition of the Figure 3 illustration, at whichrtime the closing door 34of the drum may be opened to the dotted line position indicated in saidfigure, and for stopping the drum 3 at its tilted discharged position asindicated by lower dotted lines in Figure 3, there will be provided anysuitable type of electric pneumatic or hydraulic brake such asdesignated 35 in Figure l, the specific kind of brake not being materialto the invention. In either of such stopped positions the door 34 may beopened as will be later described.

Consistency meter operating means The employment of my drum 3 for bodilytilting continuous agitating, movement of the volume of aggregates ormaterial therein advantageously makes for readily obtained indication ofthe range of variation of consistency of the materials that are beingmixed in the drum 3. In other words, the resistance to the tilting driv-7] ing torque for effecting the tilting action of the a des-3522 drum 3maybe communicatedtdthe bearing tube 36 in which the drive shaft "3 l"issupport'ed upon the base or the machine-byequipping the tube36 with;suitable spaced 31,-seemgures 2, 3 and 5 particularly. Two-pairsofthese-arms are provided 'and'ea-ch pair isco'nnected by a pivot pinconnection 38 with a'bracket33 andone-of the arms '31extendsdownwardlyat 311) to' fit between travel limiting-blockslt. "This permits alimited amount of travel er the last 'inenti'on'ed arm 31?), whichamountoftravel can be'regist'ered on suitable scale mechanism'not-shown,of a consistency irrdicator, riot' shown, but to the-said arm 3Tb*maybeconnected b'ya rod d-I. A spring 42, see Figure "'3, "connects withsaid downwardly extending arm-'31 to absorb shock and hold the rockerbearing tube 36 111 a normal position. O-bviouSlyjdefietion of thespring 42 ma be used to measure the Y consistency oi the materials whichare being mixed in the drum The rod 4-! is directly connected with arearward extension of arm 311;,Which extension is "designated 3101. 33ythese means, including the pins 38, whichare located slightly off thecenter line of direct thrust between the connections of the tilting arms32 and -main tilt frame, the application of the thrust of driving torqueof shaft 3! to the torque tube 35, is enabled, for the purpose setforth. As'the mixing continues the concrete materialslpile up less andless in' drum 3 and the variation in driving forces to eiiect mixingwill be registeredlby any suitable indicator, or graphic recorder,operated by the rod 45.

Door and door operating mechanism The closing door 34,- previouslymentioned, *and operating means therefor ar'e illustrated particularlyin- Figures-l, 3,- '6 1509- of th'e'drawings. The

endof the mixer closed bythe dor 34 is'equipped with'a suitable rubberor similar resilient gasket "against which the door -c1oses to provide awater-tight connection andfrom which the door is moved when opened.-When so engaged -'with suchgasket the door 34 rotates-with the mixingdrum 3. Thed'oor is directly carried in arc- 'tatable manner by' meansof a cross-head or yoke 43 provided witlrasuita-b'le bearing 44, seeFigure 6, receiving a'centraltrunnion 45 projecting from the door andaffording the rotative mounting of the door on the cross member 43. door34 is operated to and from its closed positions by means of an air orhydraulic ram 46 carried by the cradle 4, see Figure l, and the pistonrod of which ram is connected by a member 41 with a bell crank lever 43.The bell crank lever 43 is connected by a cross rod 49 to a similar bellcrank lever 50, the two levers 48 and 50 being pivoted to opposite sidesof the cradle 4 at opposite sides of the mixer. The two bell cranks 48and 50 are furthermore connected by rods 5iv and 52, respectively, withthe crosshead or yoke 43 by linkage and actuating parts now to bedescribed in reference to Figure 3 and Figures 6 to 9, particularly.

The crossbar or yoke 43 is preferably curved so that if a battery ofmixers of the type of my invention are arranged with their charging endsin a central charging zone closer setting of the mixers is permittedthan would otherwise be the case.

The rods 5| and 52 are connected to door supporting and actuating rods53 by linkage arm and lever parts which are the same for the both rods5| and 52, and seen best in Figures 6 to 9, so that the mechanism forthe rod 5| alone will be de- The l scribed. 'The rdd t'l- I "the rdd 52,asthe'irase may be, is attached l the =pivdtpin 54 to one end of arockerlever 55' having hollow supporting bearing-member 55a, the oppcsiteendof which lever-is connected by a pi-h 56=-to a' y'o'ke 51; the yoke 51in turn at the end opposite the-pin'55 is connected to the tr-dnnion' orpin portions 58 of samen ss which "is-attached m 'the rod53 by thespaced clampingnuts B0. The acticnof the parts incident to 'a rightwarli-movement-of the rod-5l "in'Fi'gure l is "to-rock the lever 55 to thedotted line :positionin said figure, 'therby carrying the "yoke 51' in aleftward direction and shifting "the rod -'53 "lcngitud'inally *a veryshort distance su'ificientlyto cause s'aid rod '53 to slightly opendoor34 bymoiring it 'fromthe open end 'o'f drum 's. "In this parto'fthedooropening operation rods 53 of course act on the door 34simultaneously. Eac-h rod 53' moves-over slides on a guide, rest, andstop member 6-1. he 'said door opening'movement til-each rod -53islimited by the action ofa'ndt E'on its freeendeng-aging an end-of arocker 'slee've tilt and' guide member C which is integral' with bearing'shaft orpin 33, the parts that passthrough the ineiriber 55d 6f leverthe parts "a -=a'nd 551) being supported ina sleeve bearing-A onthe'cradle4. I

'Thus the-initial movements-6f ro'ds 53by pull on rods "'5! "and 52*slid'es ro'ds :53 'slifiiciently to shift yoke 45$ and-slightly*openthe door "3 3 as stated. Then further 'pull on "rdds 5i and iii! rocksthe levers 55 to the'iiotted 'line positions of Figure latter nuts Eabut thetilting members C; 'thereuponthe levels-55, yokeskil, rods 53,rock as units a bout= the *axes 'of the shafts or pins B,'- and'therods- 33 are compelle'd' to rise irom their supported positions on themembers "5!. This will carry the cross hea '43 and-door 34, the latterno'w sl-ightiy -'spaced from the open end of drum -3,'to exposition'fully at one side of said open end as per-upper do'ttedlinesof Figure3.

The door -3-4-'-wil 1 usually'beopened when the open end of drum 3 is-ator nealrly'at its highest position and cleared of -concrete materialsbeing mixed, thus'requiring little operating energy for actuation.

In closing, the operation of the reuse: and 52 is that of pushing onconnectedendsof levers 55, lowering rods 53 first to points of restingon stops 6!. The door 34 is thereby centered at the drum opening.Further reverse rocking of levers 55 slides rods 53 through tilt membersC and nuts E- move away from members C as parts 58 go below dead centerpositions and exert a pull on rods 53 pressing the door 34 into tightclosing position at the drum opening.

Since the two rods 53 move together incident to the operation of thedescribed unit at each side of the cradle, the door 34 will be carriedupwardly by the two rods 53 because of their connection with the ends ofthe crosspiece or yoke member 43, and when so carried upwardly with thedrum stopped from tilting in the position somewhat as shown in Figure 3the drum 3 may be charged. In other words, the operation of theactuating units of Figures 6 and '7 as described is to impart movementin an upward direction relatively to the drum, to the door 34, and thisrelative movement may be performed when the drum 3 is to be charged inabout the position shown in Figure 3.

General operation of machine It is notable that by reason of theprovision of the rubber covered bronze bushings l8, see

Figure 4, the gear is flexibly connected with the hub l1 and shaft 22,and this method of driving the shaft 22 and thereby the drum for itsaxial rotation absorbs the pulsating shocks out of the motor drive unitH and its associated gearing.

As seen in Figure 3, the mixing drum is illustrated as when it isturning about its longitudinal axis and at such time the drum will becontinuously tilted up and down through an arc of about ninety degreesso as to create the two-directional mass shifting of the materials beingmixed including movements of the materials from end to end of its drum.Of course, in the rotation of the drum around its longitudinal axis, thematerials are likewise broken up, and agitating and pouring actionsproduced by the blading in the drum comprising one or more bladescarried by the drum internally thereof and shown by dotted lines inFigure 1.

At such time as the mixing period is completed, under the control of anywell known construction of batchrneter timing mechanism, the drum may bestopped in a position in which its discharge opening is downwardlyopened by movement of the door 34 and the drum thus discharged. Thebatchmeter may operate, furthermore, to bring the drum 3 to itsdischarge position and effect opening of the door 34 automatically.After the mixing drum is stopped in its discharge position sufiicientlylong, the timing mechanism may control the movement of the drum to acharging position while the door 35 is opened for re-charging of thedrum. As stated before, the brake 35 will be availed of for controllingthe stopping and starting of the tilting action of the mixer as a partof the mixing function of the machine.

Effectively speaking, my machine and method hereof utilize means wherebyto produce multidirectional continuous mass movements of the materialsbeing mixed and during such movements the blading of the drum breaks upthe mass of materials as such movements are imparted thereto. In thismanner the mixing of the material is accelerated afiording the timereduction factor previously referred to, and other advantages stated.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim as new and desire tosecure by Letters Patent of the United States is:

In a concrete mixing machine, in combination, a support, a concretemixing receptacle adjacent to said support and formed with taperingends, mounting means between said receptacle and said support comprisinga cradle pivotally carried by the support and having a bearing therein,said concrete mixing receptacle being closed at one end and equipped atsuch end with a bearing memberoperating in the bearing on said cradle,means for rotating the receptacle on the cradle about said bearingmember as an axis, and automatic means for rocking the cradle tocontinuously oscillate the receptacle in a direction endwise through anarc of approximately ninety degrees and at substantially right angles toits axis of rotation, said receptacle being provided with a charging anddischarging opening at its end opposite the bearing member end of thereceptacle, together with means for maintaining closed the said openingduring the continuous oscillation of the receptacle, whereby to preventmaterial in the receptacle from being precipitated therefrom throughsaid opening.

FERDINAND H. I-IEINE.

REFERENCES CITED UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 849,732 FloraApr. 9, 1907 1,292,127 Stevens Jan. 21, 1919 1,386,037 Weiss Aug. 2,1921 1,414,648 J aeger May 2, 1922 1,603,620 McDermott Oct. 19, 19261,812,823 Eggert June 30, 1931 2,054,469 Rybeck Sept. 15, 1936 2,133,170Johnson Oct. 11, 1938 2,252,220 Trost Aug. 12, 1941 2,255,028 Long Sept.2, 1941 2,271,518 Heine Feb. 3, 1942 2,273,750 Clagett Feb. 17, 19422,295,136 Stiers Sept. 8, 1942 2,365,897 Morgan Dec. 26, 1944

